This invention relates to apparatus for the automatic handling or straightening of the bed covers and sheets, and in particular relates to an apparatus which may be applied to a bed for making and then remaking the sheets and other bed covers.
Flatwork and sheet handling equipment have in the past included helical type spreaders as part of power driven conveyor systems for drawing flatwork straight or taut from the middle of the sheet. Such apparatus have been taught by Roiland, U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,127, Long, U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,889, and Mazzolla, U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,838. In each instance the flatwork spreader is a roller having a helical screw type rib curving outwardly from the middle of the sheet to each side thereof. The coiled winding of each screw formation goes in opposite directions to act in conjunction with one another to smooth wrinkles out of the flatwork from the center to the outer edges. In each instance these rollers are power driven by belt, chain or other means from electrical motors and are incorporated as a part of a conveyor or transfer system.
Geary, U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,321, Propst, U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,655, and Raczkowski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,591, each teach bed making apparatus having one or more arms each holding one of a plurality of covers or sheets. Essentially, these bed making apparatus hang the cover or sheet lengthwise from one end and then lay the cover or sheet onto the bed, with the bottom portion of the previously hanging cover or sheet becoming the free or headboard end of that cover.
While the bed making apparatus of Geary, Propst and Raczkowski can be repeatedly used for making the same bed, such apparatus do not assure that the sheets and bedclothes are straightened and pulled flat from the center of the bed.
The heavy driven roller systems of Roiland, Long and Mazzolla, while applicable to conveyor and other transfer systems are not adaptable to the bed making apparatus as taught by Geary, Propst and Raczkowski.
What is needed is a bed making apparatus which is capable of making and remaking the bed covers while smoothing the bed covers in place and returning to its initial position. Moreover, besides remaking the bed covers with respect to their longitudinal position, such an apparatus should be able to smooth the wrinkles out of the bed covers from the center to the sides.
An object of this invention is to provide a bed making apparatus which is permanently attached to the frame of the bed and which folds down out of the way when not performing the bedmaking function.
A second object of this invention is to provide such a bed making apparatus which draws the covers up from the foot of the bed to the head of the bed tautly, while smoothing the covers from the center of the bed to the sides, and then returning to the initial position immediately upon completion of drawing the covers over the bed.
A further object is to provide such a bed making apparatus for making a bed having a plurality of sheets and covers, said bed making apparatus including at least one working arm for each sheet and at least one holding arm for each sheet, said working arms and said holding arms being interleaved during the rest position when the bed making apparatus is not in operation.
Another object of this invention is to provide an eletrical position monitor for the mechanical structure of the bed making apparatus whereby the structure is controlled to return to its initial position at the foot of the bed once it has completed the operation cycle to the head of the bed to be made.